SchoolSmartKC
SchoolSmartKC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that serves as a community-driven intermediary investing philanthropic capital across district and charter schools to improve literacy, expand Pre-K access, and recognize educators in the Kansas City Public Education System.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNorth Kansas City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SchoolSmartKC does
SchoolSmartKC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit education intermediary founded in 2017 to close achievement and opportunity gaps across the Kansas City Public Education System. Operating across both district and charter school boundaries, the organization functions as a community-driven convener and strategic investor rather than a direct service provider, deploying philanthropic capital into early literacy, Pre-K expansion, educator recognition, and career access programs. Its flagship initiative, the Literacy for All Students (LFAS) program launched in 2024, embeds K-3 literacy coaches and high-dosage tutoring in partner elementary schools and is backed by $6.4 million from the Kansas City Royals Foundation and Sherman Family Foundation, with a stated goal of reaching 33% third-grade reading proficiency across the city by 2028.
The organization's service portfolio includes the Pre-K Cooperative (introducing over 700 Pre-K seats since 2018), the Excellence in Education Awards (an annual program investing $10,000 per individual educator and $5,000 per school team since 2019), and a Team-Based Staffing Model adapted from Arizona State University's Next Education Workforce framework. SchoolSmartKC runs an Annual Data Summit convening 300+ community stakeholders and partners with UMKC for continuous program evaluation and Bellwether Education Partners for nationally distributed case studies. The underlying "technology" is principally programmatic — evidence-based instructional frameworks such as the Science of Reading — rather than software; the only digital product referenced is SchoolAppKC, a school enrollment tool.
The business model is philanthropic: SchoolSmartKC does not charge schools or educators, but instead receives grants from foundations (Children's Services Fund, GKCCF, Hall Family, Kauffman, Walton, William Kemper, Sosland, Sherman, Royals, People People People) and corporate donors (Kiewit, QuikTrip, PNC), with cumulative investment across all Kansas City districts and LEAs stated at approximately $40 million since 2017. Go-to-market is community-driven through listening sessions, family engagement, civic partnerships, and an active direct-donation platform, with a small 11-50 employee team operating from a single Kansas City headquarters under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Angelique Nedved.
SchoolSmartKC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SchoolSmartKC
- Legal name
- SchoolSmartKC Inc.
- Website
- https://schoolsmartkc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SchoolSmartKC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that serves as a community-driven intermediary investing philanthropic capital across district and charter schools to improve literacy, expand Pre-K access, and recognize educators in the Kansas City Public Education System.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SchoolSmartKC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Early Childhood Education & Childcare Nonprofits (BPAGADAA)
Keywords
Where SchoolSmartKC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- North Kansas City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SchoolSmartKC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation and Philanthropic Grants: SchoolSmartKC receives funding from major foundations and philanthropic organizations including Children's Services Fund, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation (GKCCF), Hall Family Foundation, Kauffman Foundation, KC Royals Foundation, Sherman Family Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, William Kemper Foundation, PNC, and others. These investments fund strategic initiatives across literacy, Pre-K, and educator development.
- Corporate and Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from corporations (Kiewit, QuikTrip) and individuals to support their educational initiatives and programs. The website features a prominent 'Donate Now' CTA for community members to contribute.
- Excellence in Education Awards Program: Annual awards program investing over $1.5 million directly in educators since 2019, providing $10,000 to individual educators and $5,000 to school teams. This is funded through partnerships with foundations and the Royals Foundation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Excellence in Education Award - Individual Educators |
| Other | Annual | Excellence in Education Award - School Teams |
| Other | Annual | Elementary Literacy Coach Position |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
SchoolSmartKC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SchoolSmartKC operates as a community-driven nonprofit intermediary that invests philanthropic funds in Kansas City's public education system. It delivers strategic initiatives across early literacy (Literacy for All Students), high-quality Pre-K access (Pre-K Cooperative), educator recognition (Excellence in Education Awards), and team-based staffing professional development, coordinating across district and charter school boundaries.
Product overview
SchoolSmartKC is a non-profit education organization that serves as Kansas City's partner working across district and charter school boundaries. Rather than a unified software platform, the organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of distinct programs and initiatives: Literacy for All Students (LFAS) is the flagship early literacy initiative with embedded coaches and tutoring; the Pre-K Cooperative supports early childhood education quality; the Excellence in Education Awards recognize and fund exceptional educators; the Team-Based Staffing Model provides professional development for schools; and SchoolAppKC offers family enrollment services. These programs are coordinated through the Annual Data Summit and supported by strategic partnerships with Bellwether Education Partners and UMKC for research and evaluation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Literacy for All Students (LFAS) Initiative A citywide early literacy initiative dedicated to ensuring every Kansas City child reads by third grade. Provides high-impact tutoring and expert classroom coaching through embedded literacy coaches in partner schools using evidence-based Science of Reading methodology.
- Pre-K Cooperative Collaborative network of early childhood providers established to strengthen and elevate Pre-K quality across Kansas City, with focus on high-need neighborhoods.
- Excellence in Education Awards Annual awards program in partnership with the Kansas City Royals Foundation recognizing exceptional educators who drive student achievement. Invests $10,000 in individual educators (Star Leader, Star Rising Leader, Star Support, Star Teacher, Lifetime Achievement) and $5,000 in school teams.
- Team-Based Staffing Model Professional development model based on ASU's Next Education Workforce that supports teacher retention and job satisfaction through team-based classroom staffing.
- SchoolAppKC
Quantifiable outcome
- 6 percentage points more students performing above the national median on formative assessments after one year of LFAS implementation
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use SchoolSmartKC
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SchoolSmartKC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SchoolSmartKC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- Bellwether Education PartnerscoreNational education policy organization that partnered with SSKC to document the Literacy for All Students initiative through a three-part case study series analyzing design, partnerships, and implementation.
- University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)coreAcademic partner providing continuous evaluation of Literacy for All Students initiative through UMKC Urban Education Research Center. Releases formative data, focus group findings, and survey results.
- Kansas City Public LibrarymajorCollaboration for 2026 Summer Reading program including unified metro-wide reading theme, free books, prizes, and online resources.
- Arizona State University - Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning InnovationcorePartnership to bring ASU's 'Next Education Workforce' team-based staffing model to Kansas City schools, proven to increase teacher retention and job satisfaction.
- Kansas City Pre-K CooperativecoreCollaborative network of Pre-K providers established by SSKC to strengthen and elevate Pre-K quality across Kansas City, introducing 700+ spots with focus on high-need neighborhoods.
- Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS)corePrimary district partner for all SSKC initiatives including Literacy for All Students, Pre-K Cooperative, and Excellence in Education Awards.
- Missouri Charter Public School AssociationcorePartnership for Excellence in Education Awards recognizing charter school educators alongside district schools.
- Turn the Page KCmajorCommunity literacy organization providing Family Reading KC initiative with free resources supporting families reading with young children.
- Lead to Read KCmajorLiteracy organization providing Reading Mentor Tips and Reading Is Everywhere program placing free books in community locations.
- Teach for AmericasupportingEducation recruitment organization supporting teacher pipeline to Kansas City schools.
- City YearsupportingAmeriCorps program supporting student success through in-school interventions.
- PREP-KCsupportingLocal education organization supporting educator preparation and development.
- The Literacy LabsupportingLiteracy intervention organization providing tutoring and coaching support.
- TNTP, IncsupportingNational education consulting firm supporting teacher and leadership development.
- Junior Achievement of GKCsupportingBusiness education organization supporting career readiness programs.
- Mid America Regional CouncilsupportingRegional planning organization supporting community coordination.
- Urban League of Greater Kansas CitysupportingCivil rights organization supporting educational equity initiatives.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SchoolSmartKC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- StriveTogether: A national cradle-to-career intermediary network based in Cincinnati that supports place-based community partnerships working to improve educational outcomes from early childhood through career. Highly comparable to SchoolSmartKC as a citywide intermediary coordinating across schools, families, and community partners.
- The Mind Trust: Indianapolis-based education nonprofit that invests in school innovation, talent development, and community engagement to transform public education. Comparable to SchoolSmartKC as a place-based education intermediary driving district-wide improvement through philanthropic investment and program design.
- Say Yes to Education: National nonprofit working in partnership with cities and school districts to provide scholarships, support services, and programmatic investments that expand educational opportunity. Directly comparable to SchoolSmartKC in its city-level partnership model and integrated support services across the educational continuum.
- Newark Trust for Education: A Newark-based education nonprofit focused on equitable outcomes across the city's public schools through research, advocacy, and community partnerships. Directly comparable as a city-focused education intermediary similar in scope and structure to SchoolSmartKC.
Regional players
- Boston Opportunity Agenda: A Boston-area cross-sector collaborative of education, business, and community organizations working to close achievement and opportunity gaps in Boston Public Schools. Comparable in structure as a citywide intermediary, but operating in a different metropolitan geography.
Others
- Ballmer Group: Major philanthropic organization supporting economic mobility for children and families across multiple U.S. cities, with a heavy focus on education funding and system-level interventions. Comparable as a large-scale education funder but not a single-city place-based operator.
- Cleveland Foundation (Education initiatives): Major Cleveland-area community foundation that invests heavily in education and student success through place-based grantmaking and partnership initiatives. Comparable as a similarly-positioned regional foundation funding systemic education reform, though broader in scope than SchoolSmartKC.
- Robin Hood Foundation: New York-based poverty-fighting nonprofit with a major focus on early childhood and K-12 education, funding evidence-based programs and policy advocacy. Comparable as a major urban education funder using data-driven strategies, though broader in scope than SchoolSmartKC.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SchoolSmartKC social profiles
Digital presenceSchoolSmartKC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
SchoolSmartKC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SchoolSmartKC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SchoolSmartKC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SchoolSmartKC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SchoolSmartKC
What does SchoolSmartKC do?
SchoolSmartKC operates as a community-driven nonprofit intermediary that invests philanthropic funds in Kansas City's public education system. It delivers strategic initiatives across early literacy (Literacy for All Students), high-quality Pre-K access (Pre-K Cooperative), educator recognition (Excellence in Education Awards), and team-based staffing professional development, coordinating across district and charter school boundaries.
Is SchoolSmartKC a public or private company?
SchoolSmartKC is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SchoolSmartKC founded?
SchoolSmartKC was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SchoolSmartKC based?
SchoolSmartKC is headquartered in North Kansas City, United States, in the North America region.
How does SchoolSmartKC make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Foundation and Philanthropic Grants are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Individual Donations and excellence in Education Awards Program.
Who are SchoolSmartKC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are StriveTogether, The Mind Trust, Say Yes to Education and Newark Trust for Education. Boston Opportunity Agenda is listed as a regional player. Others are Ballmer Group, Cleveland Foundation (Education initiatives) and Robin Hood Foundation.
Does SchoolSmartKC have an API?
No public API is recorded for SchoolSmartKC.
What industry is SchoolSmartKC in?
SchoolSmartKC's product category is Education Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAB, K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAJALAM, After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.